Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. McRedmond and Ms Byrne. I thank members of An Post, including the Irish Postmasters Union and staff, for the work they have done during the pandemic. Ms Byrne mentioned scale payments in her contribution. There is a significant concern that postmasters will lose income. She might explain to me how they will not lose income because I have been told that they could face a cut of between 20% and 25% in their income from the end of this month.

In the context of the sustainability of the model into the future, Ms Byrne mentioned, in terms of co-location, rural post offices within a 15 km radius. That is a significant amount of distance for a post office and I believe it is far too much. I hope that is reconsidered.

As the witnesses will know, the Irish Postmasters Union came before the committee. We have had a lot of engagement with it. Does Mr. McRedmond share the view that our post office network is on the brink and at the edge of the cliff, in that 200 post offices could be closed? I refer to the Grant Thornton report. What has the board done in the context of Government around engaging in new services? I will come back in again after the replies.